variants
also skunk
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in masters
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stings
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of skunks
Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
His yard now attracts wildlife, including raccoons, skunks and even the occasional coyote.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
So are the deer, turkeys, skunks, crickets, spiders, ticks, bats, dragonflies, and ospreys.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
In Wyoming, the National Park Service said rabies is most commonly found in bats and skunks.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
In Wyoming, bats are one of the two main carriers of rabies, the other being skunks.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
This encourages chipmunks, as well as other wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks to visit, says Owen.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The skunk with distemper is stuck in the window well again, chewing incessantly on the garden hose that is coiled up in there.
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
His yard now attracts wildlife, including raccoons, skunks and even the occasional coyote.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
So are the deer, turkeys, skunks, crickets, spiders, ticks, bats, dragonflies, and ospreys.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
In Wyoming, the National Park Service said rabies is most commonly found in bats and skunks.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
In Wyoming, bats are one of the two main carriers of rabies, the other being skunks.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
This encourages chipmunks, as well as other wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks to visit, says Owen.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunks
Noun
-
Winnie and Marcel, detection dogs and graduates from the USDA National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia, serve alongside plant inspectors Mary Glover and Kyle Webb in the TDA Plant Certification Section helping protect the state’s agriculture and nurseries from the Spotted Lanternfly.—
Katie Nixon,
The Tennessean,
25 Aug. 2025
-
That connection, dogs and Jeeps, tends to be a big part of the Jeep Life ethos.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Remind them their worth is non-negotiable When your child fails — gets cut from the team, bombs a test — remind them their value isn't up for debate.—
Jennifer Breheny Wallace,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This storied sandwich is served each year at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia; and many have long tried to replicate the recipe, which seemingly masters the perfect ratio of ingredients for classic egg salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Focus is difficult and hardly anyone masters the skill.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The first mozzie of the evening stings my arm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But this kind of comment often stings.—
Time,
Time,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Using the average daily temperatures, the model showed the underground temperature was around the thermal maximum for snakes — around 104 degrees Fahrenheit.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
During the search, multiple venomous snakes and animals were seized.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To accomplish this, Barton turned to the fundamental dance technique of spotting, where the dancer finds a focal point in front of them and whips their head around to hold that focus spot and keep themself centered.—
Oliver Sava,
Vulture,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Wind whips both the sound waves and temperatures around, so bring a blanket even if it’s not forecast to rain or hail.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Providing a narrow network or mail-order-only option defeats the purpose.—
Wendy Barnes,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Getting vaccinated too early defeats the purpose.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Saginaw’s surge overcomes Boswell The Pioneers of Boswell dominated play in the opening half, building a 21-0 lead that looked rock solid behind a persistent defense and an offense balanced with good running and passing.—
Pat Wheeler,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
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The technology overcomes the key trade-off between energy density and charging speed that limited previous lithium-metal battery designs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunks. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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